


Its Own Way

by isnonstop



Series: At Your Mercy [11]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - BDSM, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Domestic Violence, F/M, Gun Violence, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Shooting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-17 20:11:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13666437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isnonstop/pseuds/isnonstop
Summary: “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”― Leo TolstoyHenry Laurens has been arrested. John and Alexander travel to South Carolina. This was not how Alexander expected to meet his boyfriend's family for the first time.





	1. Tuesday 23rd, January

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“John!”_
> 
> _John froze, turning to look at Alexander. His hair was still a mess, eyes frantic and on the verge of total panic. Alex sighed sadly, stepping over and resting a hand on John’s shoulders, gently pushing him down to his knees. John went without a fight, looking up at Alexander._
> 
> _“John, darling, talk to me,” Alex said, gently stroking his submissive’s hair. “What's going on?”_
> 
> _“My father has been arrested,” John said, leaning over and resting his head on Alex’s leg. “My mom is freaked out. Martha doesn't know what to do. And I need to go home to help.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look I'm back!

“Jack! Oh my god!”

“Martha, what happened? What’s going on?”

“Dad’s been arrested, Jack!” 

“For what? What happened?”

“I don’t know why no one will tell me anything! These agent people came to the house and asked us all a bunch of questions and took some pictures of bruises Harry had and then they arrested dad!” 

“Where’s mom?”

“She went with the officers.”

“How is Harry? And James? And Mary?” 

“Harry is freaking out. James and Mary are super confused.”

“Should I come back? I can fly down tonight.” 

“I don't think you need to. I don't know. Maybe? Jack, I don't know what to do!”

“Matty, breathe. Everything is going to be okay. I'm going to come home. I’ll come down and we can figure this all out together. Everything is going to be okay.”

“But you have class.”

“This is more important.”

“Okay.”

“Tell Harry, James, and Mary that I’m coming and that we’re going to fix things okay? I’ll be there soon. I’ll let you know when I’ve booked a flight.”

“Okay, Jack.”

“Everything is going to be okay, Martha. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Okay. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

—

“I need to go.”

“John, stop throwing things into a suitcase and talk to me.”

“I need to go, Alex.”

“Go where? Why? What's going on?”

“I need to- where's my phone charger? And my wallet!? Fuck!”

“John!”

“Goddamn it, where is it?!”

“John!”

“Fucking shit, fuck, fuck, fu-”

“ _John_!”

John froze, turning to look at Alexander. His hair was still a mess, eyes frantic and on the verge of total panic. Alex sighed sadly, stepping over and resting a hand on John’s shoulders, gently pushing him down to his knees. John went without a fight, looking up at Alexander. 

“John, darling, talk to me,” Alex said, gently stroking his submissive’s hair. “What's going on?”

“My father has been arrested,” John said, leaning over and resting his head on Alex’s leg. “My mom is freaked out. Martha doesn't know what to do. And I need to go home to help.”

“Okay,” Alex said, tucking a curl behind John’s ear. “How're you going to get to South Carolina?”

“I'm going to book a flight,” John said, steadily relaxing as Alex gently played with his hair. 

“Your dad cut you off, J, you don't have any money,” Alex reminded him gently. 

“I've got a credit card,” John said, looking up at Alex. “I can use that.”

“What time is the flight?”

“Tonight at seven,” John wrapped a hand around Alex’s ankle, gently tracing his fingers over the bare skin there. 

“Alright,” Alex said, thinking about something for a moment before nodding. “I'm coming with you.”

“What? No! Alex, you can't! You've got class!” 

“So do you,” Alex pointed out gently. “It's okay, J, we can both take a week off for a family emergency.”

“It's not your family,” John whispered. 

“You're my submissive,” Alex gently stroked John’s hair, wanting to keep him calm. “I can take time off to take care of you. It'll only be a week, and I've got most of this semester’s coursework done anyway.”

John huffed, shutting his eyes and squeezing Alex’s ankle tight. He didn't want Alex to have to miss classes for him. But at the same time, he desperately wanted Alex to come; he couldn't deal with this alone. 

“Everything is going to be okay,” Alex said softly, titling John’s chin up. “We’ll go to South Carolina, support your mom and siblings as best we can and make sure they're taken care of. Everything's going to be fine.”

“Okay, sir,” John whispered, leaning into Alex’s hand. “Okay.”

“I’m going to book flights for us,” Alex said, rubbing his thumb over John’s cheek. “I want you to pack clothes for each of us. Enough for one week. Make sure you pack something nice enough to deal with lawyers and court, okay?”

“Yes, sir,” John whispered, nodding. Having a simple order to focus on helped to settle his racing thoughts. 

“Good boy,” Alex whispered, leaning down and kissing John gently. 

—-

TO Matty:

Alex and I are coming down tonight

Our flight leaves at 7

How’s everyone doing?

 

TO Jack:

Okay I guess

Mom is pretty rattled

Jem and Mary are really confused.

Harry isnt talking to anyone

 

TO Matty:

God this is a mess

Alex booked us a flight

 

TO Jack:

Okay. 

Jem and Mary are looking forward to seeing you

Harry still hasn't left his room

 

TO Matty:

I'll give him a call

Have you heard from mom?

 

TO Jack:

No. She's still at the station

 

TO Matty:

Let me know if you hear anything

I've got to go

I need to talk to my academic advisor 

Since I'm leaving for a week

 

TO Jack:

Okay Jack

See you soon

Love you

 

TO Matty:

Love you too

—

“Hey.”

“Hi, Harry.”

“Hey, Jack.”

“Matty said you haven’t let your room since dad was arrested. She’s worried.”

“I’m fine.”

“Harry, you don’t sound fine. You know you can talk to me right?”

“I know, Jack. I’m fine, I promise.”

“Harry, look, I- I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For not protecting you.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“It is. I should have protected you. I knew what type of man our father is. It was foolish of me to think that he would limit his violence to just me.”

“Jack, you were a kid too. You can’t blame yourself. This is Henry’s fault.”

“I still feel like I should have done something. Told someone what he was doing when I was a kid. Then you and James and Mary and Martha would have been safe away from him.”

“Jack, you were just a kid.”

“I know. I just- I’m sorry.”

“I don’t blame you, Jack.”

“Matty is worried about you. Go talk to her, yeah? She’s trying so hard to hold everything together but I know she’s as freaked out about this as we are. She needs you, Harry.”

“Okay, Jack. I will.”

“Good. Good. Alexander and I are flying down there tonight.”

“What about school?”

“We got permission to leave for a week. Hopefully, that’s enough time to sort things out.”

“I doubt it.”

“I know. But at least we’ll be able to sort some things out. And if I have to take this semester off I will.”

“You shouldn’t do that, Jack. School is important.”

“You guys are more important. Anyway, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you soon.”

“Okay. I love you, Jack.”

“I love you too, Harry.”

—

“John, darling?” Alex gently brushed a hand through the submissive’s hair, rubbing his thumb over John’s cheek. “You okay? You've been staring into space for a while now.”

“What's going to happen to my mom, Alex?” John whispered, chewing on his bottom lip. “Everything is in my father’s name. She's got no money no land no nothing.”

“She's going to be okay,” Alex whispered, pulling John into his arms. They were sat together in their dorm room, waiting for the car to arrive to bring them to the airport. They'd met with their academic advisors and sent emails to their professors, everyone was understanding and gave the couple a week away without repercussions to go deal with the problem. 

“How is she going to be able to take care of my siblings if she doesn't have an income?” John pressed his face into Alex’s neck. 

“Your father’s assets will be seized when he is convicted,” Alex reminded John softly. 

“They'll go to his next of kin,” John whispered. “That's not my mother. That was- that was me but now- now I don't know who it is.”

“What about Martha? She's the next eldest,” Alex gently ran a hand down John’s back. 

“She's neutral,” John whispered. “My father wouldn't make her his heir. It's probably James. He probably put everything in Jemmy’s name.”

“Your little brother?” Alex hummed. “How old is he?”

“Twelve,” John whispered. “He's twelve.”

“So someone will have to be named the executor of your father’s estate until James comes of age,” Alex said, pressing a kiss to John’s forehead. “That will probably be your mother.”

“She's a sub,” John whispered. 

“She still has the right to own property, J,” Alex reminded him softly. “Even if your father is an ass who hasn't let her until now. Don't worry we’ll make sure your family is taken care of.”

“Okay,” John whispered, chewing on his bottom lip. 

“Come on,” Alex stood, pulling John with him. “We should go downstairs. The car will be here any second. Grab our bag.”

“Yes sir,” John said, grabbing the duffle and his phone before following Alex out of the room. 

—

TO John:

Mon ami!

 

TO Laf:

Yes?

 

TO John:

Desolee, mon ami. 

Alex told me about your father

Is there anything I can do?

 

TO Laf:

No.

Thanks though

 

TO John:

Are you sure, mon ami?

Anything you need

Let me know

 

TO Laf:

Thanks, Laf.

 

TO John:

Je t’aime

 

TO Laf:

Love you too Laf

Our flight is boarding. 

I’ll talk to you soon.

 

TO John:

D’accord

—

“Hey, Jack, I know you’re on your flight right now and won’t get this until later but I just wanted to let you know that mom came back home. She said that dad’s being charged with child abuse and something about ‘making false statements’… I don’t know she was pretty shaken up and didn’t explain anything very well. But she’s home now. Dad’s arraignment hearing is tomorrow at noon. Mom said it would be best if we didn’t go, said it would be too much for the younger kids. But I think someone should be there with her. So you and Alex will go, yeah? And I’ll stay with Harry, Jem, and Mary. Anyway, we can talk when you get here. I’ll see you soon. Love you.”

—

“Do you want to rent a car or just get a taxi?” Alex asked as he and John walked through the airport, having just landed in South Carolina. John chewed on his lip, looking down at his feet. “Or would you rather I choose?”

“Please,” John whispered, looking up at Alex. He looked exhausted and Alex could see the beginnings of panic in his gaze. The dominant smiled softly, reaching out and taking John’s hand, thumb rubbing over the bandage that was still wrapped around the submissive’s wrist. 

“Okay, lovely, I’ll decide,” Alex said, kissing John’s temple. “Do you want me to make most of the decisions while we’re here?”

“Yes please, sir,” John said gratefully, leaning in Alex. 

“Okay,” Alex squeezed John’s hand. “But only on little things, big decisions that affect your life and family you have to make. I will help and support you but those choices are yours to make, J.” 

John swallowed, nodding against Alex’s shoulder. “Okay, sir.”

“Good boy,” Alex whispered, knowing the praise would go a long way in helping John feel better. “Let’s take a taxi. I’m sure we can just use one of your family’s cars if we need to.”

“Yes, sir,” John said, holding their bag tight as he followed Alexander outside. Alex found them a taxi and told the driver the address, allowing John to just silently follow along. It wasn’t an unusual thing in South Carolina to see a silent submissive following in the shadow of their dominant so no one questioned it. The drive to John’s family’s house was spent in silence, Alexander’s hand wrapped firmly around John’s the entire time, periodically giving it a gentle squeeze. John was grateful for the constant contact; he wasn’t sure he would be able to handle all the thoughts and emotions that were threatening to overwhelm him if Alexander stopped touching him. 

“This is your house?” Alex asked softly as the driver pulled up outside the building. It truthfully wasn’t as big as Alexander had expected considering how wealthy John’s family was.

“Yeah,” John whispered. “It’s not our only house though. My family owns a few estates both in the US and in Europe.”

Alex hummed, giving John’s hand a squeeze before climbing out of the car. He took care of paying the driver while John grabbed their bag from the trunk. The loss of contact with his dominant was beginning to cause his limited control over his emotions to fray at the edges but before he could succumb to the panic building inside him, Alexander was back at his side, a gentle hand on the back of his neck guiding him to the door. 

“Do you have a key?” Alex asked softly. It was late and he would hate to wake anyone sleeping inside by knocking. 

“No,” John said softly, shaking his head. “But Matty is still awake.”

“How do you know?” Alex asked, knowing John hadn’t checked his phone since getting on the plane in New York.

“Her light is on,” John said, pointing to the window on the second floor. “I’ll call her and tell her to come let us in.”

“Alright,” Alex said, squeezing the back of on John’s neck gently as the submissive pulled out his phone and dialled his sister’s number. Before he could even start the call the front door opened and revealed a teen, dressed in grey sweatpants and a loose black t-shirt. His hair was cut short, just long enough for Alex to note the same curls that John had. And just like his submissive, the boy in front of him had a dusting of freckles across his face.  

“Harry,” John said, smiling as he locked his phone and shoved it into his pocket. “You’re up late.”

“Hey, Jack,” Harry said, stepping back and letting his brother into the house. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“This is Alexander,” John said, gesturing to the dominant as they both moved inside. “My boyfriend.”

“Your dominant,” Harry said, looking Alexander over. 

“Yes,” John said softly, placing the bag down at his feet. “My dominant.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Harry,” Alexander said, extending a hand to him. 

“You too,” Harry said, shaking Alex’s hand quickly before dropping it and moving down the hall. “Mom, James, and Mary are sleeping. But Matty and I are in the kitchen.”

“Okay,” John said, taking Alex’s hand and leading him down the hall. “You guys should really be sleeping through.”

“We wanted to wait for you,” Harry glanced over his shoulder with a shrug. “Did you get Martha’s voice message?”

“No,” John squeezed Alex’s hand. “I haven’t checked my messages.”

“Dad’s arraignment is tomorrow at noon,” Harry said, pushing open the kitchen door. “Matty, Jack and Alexander are here.”

Martha looked up from her mug, curls loose around her face. She looked exhausted and John’s heart clenched at the sight. He slipped away from Alex, going over and quickly pulling his sister into a tight hug. Her arms gripped his waist, squeezing as she buried her face in his neck. 

“Thank God you’re here,” Martha whispered, sounding close to tears. John just hugged her tighter, knowing there was nothing he could say that would make things better and simply offering his sister the small amount of comfort a hug could provide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know nothing about the law beyond what I've seen on TV so yeah... 
> 
> You guys are lucky... I was going to make this **A LOT** sadder (there was character death involved) but decided not to. You're welcome.


	2. Wednesday 24th, January

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Jack!” Mary grinned, running over and hugging him tight. “I've missed you!”_
> 
> _“I’ve missed you too,” John said, wrapping his arms around her, hugging his youngest sister tight._
> 
> _“How long are you staying, Jack?” James asked, going over and hugging him._
> 
> _“A week,” John wrapped an arm around James as well. “How've you been, Jemmy?”_
> 
> _“I'm alright,” he said, squeezing his brother tight before stepping back._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which nothing much at all happens...

“John,” Alex whispered, running his fingers through John’s hair. The submissive whined, pressing his face deeper into his pillows. They hadn’t gotten to bed until almost three since they spent a while talking with Harry and Martha and John was exhausted. All he wanted was to stay curled up in bed with Alexander, hidden under the blankets and wrapped in his dominant’s safe embrace. “John, sweetie, it’s time to get up.”

“Don’t wanna,” John grumbled, rolling away from Alex’s touch and sliding deeper under the blankets. 

“You have to,” Alex said, grabbing the blankets and pulling them back. “I let you sleep as long as possible, J, but you’ve got to get up. Your mom is getting ready to go to court for your father’s arraignment.”

“Can’t we just stay here and pretend none of this is happening?” John whispered, rolling over to look at Alex, chewing on his bottom lip. 

“No, darling, I’m sorry,” Alex whispered, leaning down and giving John a gentle kiss. “You have to get up.”

“That an order, sir?” John whispered, looking away from Alex.

“Yes, John, it is,” Alex said, cupping John’s cheek. 

“Okay, sir,” John said, forcing himself to sit up.

“Good boy,” Alex pressed a kiss to the submissive’s cheek before standing. He was already dressed, hair pulled back into a neat ponytail. “John?”

“Yes, sir?” John climbed out of bed, stretching and running a hand through his hair. 

“How much control do you want me to take today?” Alex asked, stepping over and resting a hand on the side of John’s neck. “I know this is going to be difficult for you.”

John swallowed, looking down at his feet, “A lot. Please, sir.”

“Okay,” Alex said, thumb rubbing along the edge of John’s jaw gently. “All I want you to worry about today is listening and being a good boy for me, okay?”

“Okay, sir,” John whispered. 

“I’ve got some orders for today,” Alex said, tipping John’s chin up so he’d meet Alex’s gaze. “You are not to speak to your father or his defence lawyers. You can speak to anyone else you want or speak to no one if you don’t want to. If you don’t want to talk to someone that is trying to talk to you, squeeze my hand three times and I will deal with it. You’re to stay by my side the entire time we’re out - unless you need the bathroom. You will eat and drink what I give you, no arguments. If at any point things become too much, you are to safeword. If you don’t feel like speaking, tap me twice to safeword. Understand, John?”

“Yes, sir,” John nodded, breathing out a soft sigh. The order to not speak to his father relieved a bit of the anxiety threatening to overwhelm him. John didn’t want to speak with his father and he knew Henry would try but since his dominant ordered him not to, and everyone expected submissives to obey their dominants at all times, there was nothing Henry could do to force him. 

“We are going to support your mother,” Alex said, gently brushing a strand of hair out of John’s face. “I want you to focus on her. If you feel like she needs to get out, I need you to tell me, John, okay? This is a difficult situation to deal with when you’ve got support, and she doesn’t have her dominant to help her.” 

“Yes, sir,” John whispered, leaning into Alex’s hand. 

“No hiding your thoughts or feelings today, J,” Alex leaned in and kissed his forehead. “If something is upsetting you, tell me. If you even _think_ something is going to upset you, tell me.”

“Yes, sir,” John couldn’t help the small smile that spread across his lips. Alexander cared so much about him and it made John feel warm inside, even with the horrible situation going on. 

“Good boy,” Alex kissed him gently, lovingly, fingers stroking John’s jaw gently. “Now, you go take a shower while I pick out your outfit for today.”

“Yes, sir,” John said, leaning in and pressing a kiss to Alex’s cheek before pulling away and heading into the bathroom that connected his room to Martha’s. He turned on the shower, letting the water warm up while he brushed his teeth. Once his teeth were brushed, John got in the shower. The hot water was wonderful and John wished he could spend the rest of existence standing under the spray. But he knew Alexander was waiting for him and truthfully all John wanted was to make his dominant proud of him. So he cleaned off quickly before climbing out of the shower and wrapping a towel around his waist. Alexander was waiting for him in the bedroom when he returned, eyes on his phone as he paced the length of the room. John stood in the doorway, watching his boyfriend for a moment. Alexander continued to pace, lost in his own world and not noticing that John was standing there. It made John smile slightly. Alex always got so focused on something that he didn't notice the world around him, often forgetting to eat or sleep. It was a quality John found equally endearing and worrying. But he had found that Alexander was much more motivated to care for himself if he had someone else to take care of as well. 

“Sir?” John said softly, stepping further into the room and shutting the bathroom door. Alex looked up, smiling at John as he tucked his phone away. 

“Come here, darling,” Alex said, holding out a hand to him. John went over, resting his hand in Alex’s. The dominant pulled him closer, leaning in and pressing a kiss to John’s lips, fingers brushing slightly damp curls behind John’s ear. “You’re such a good boy, John. And I know this is hard for you and I’m so proud of you.”

John let out a soft whine, resting his forehead against Alex’s and exhaling slowly. “Thank you, sir.”

Alex leaned in, pecking John’s lips gently before pulling back. “Your clothes are on the bed. Get dressed and come downstairs. I need to go make a call. I’ll be downstairs.”

“Yes, sir,” John said softly. Alex smiled, giving him one last kiss before leaving the bedroom. John sighed once he was gone, feeling a little cold without his dominant’s presence. He went over to the bed, looking over the outfit set out on the bed. The sight of Alex’s sweater laid out for him to wear made him smile. Wearing Alex’s clothes never failed to make him feel warm and happy, like being wrapped in his dominant’s embrace. He dried off quickly, before getting dressed and moving to the dresser to get brush his hair. He pulled it back into a neat ponytail, looking at himself in the mirror for a moment before sighing softly and grabbing his phone. He flicked off the lights in the room before leaving the bedroom, heading downstairs. He could hear voices coming from the kitchen, the sounds of Mary and James talking loudly drifting down the hallways. 

“Are you really Jack’s boyfriend?” Mary asked, her tone sounding a little doubtful making John shake his head fondly as he walked down the hall to the kitchen. 

“I am,” Alex chuckled. 

“And you’re a dominant?” James asked as John stepped into the kitchen. 

“I am,” Alex nodded, looking over and smiling at John. Alex held out a hand, silently beckoning John over. He went gladly, slipping his hand into Alex’s and leaning into the dominant’s side. 

“Jack!” Mary grinned, running over and hugging him tight. “I've missed you!” 

“I’ve missed you too,” John said, wrapping his arms around her, hugging his youngest sister tight. 

“How long are you staying, Jack?” James asked, going over and hugging him. 

“A week,” John wrapped an arm around James as well. “How've you been, Jemmy?”

“I'm alright,” he said, squeezing his brother tight before stepping back. “Mom’s waiting in the car. Matty said you're going with her to court.”

“I am,” John nodded, glancing up as Alex rested a hand on the back of his neck. 

“You’ll take care of her right?” James said, brow furrowing a bit. 

“I will, Jemmy, I promise,” John patted James’ cheek gently. “Don’t worry.”

“And when you get back will you tell me all about New York?” Mary asked, tugging on John’s sleeve. “I wanna hear all about it!”

“I promise I’ll tell you everything,” John said, leaning down to kiss Mary’s forehead. “But for now, Alex and I have gotta go, okay?”

“Okay, Jack,” Mary said, squeezing his hand gently before stepping away. James gave John one last tight hug before returning to his spot at the counter. Alex slipped his hand into John’s once his siblings had moved away, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Ready to go?” He whispered, pulling his submissive close.

“Are ready as I’ll ever be,” John said, resting his head on Alex’s shoulder for a brief second. Alex smiled gently, pressing a kiss to John’s forehead before pulling him out of the kitchen. Martha was standing at the door, looking about as tired as John felt. 

“You’ll text me if anything happens right?” She asked, handing John his coat. 

“Of course, Matty,” John said, taking his coat and pulling it on. “I’ll let you know immediately if anything important happens.”

“And you’ll take care of mom right?” She said softly, biting her bottom lip. “I’m worried about her.”

“We’ll take care of her,” John said, glancing over at Alex who nodded. “You just worry about Mary and James and Harry, okay?”

“Okay, Jack,” she wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tight. “Thank you for coming home.”

“Of course, Mat,” he whispered, hugging her close. “Love you, Mat.”

“Love you too, Jack,” she whispered, pulling back and pressing a kiss to his cheek before turning to Alex. “Thank you for coming as well, Alexander. I really appreciate you being here and supporting John.”

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Alex said, wrapping an arm around John’s waist. “I’m glad to finally meet you, Martha. Though I wish it was under better circumstances.”

She smiled, “Yeah me too. You should go. Mom’s waiting in the car.”

“See you later,” John said, giving Martha one last smile before turning and following Alexander out the door. Sure enough, Eleanor Laurens was sat in the passenger seat of the car, hands folded in her lap. She was staring straight ahead, a completely neutral look on her face. John sighed, squeezing Alex’s hand tight as they went over to the car. 

“Do you want me to drive?” Alex asked, rubbing his thumb over the back of John’s hand.

“No, I’ll drive,” John said, giving Alex a small, shaky smile. “Did you meet my mom before she came out to the car?”

“Yeah,” Alex said softly, pausing next to the car and turning to John. “We spoke briefly this morning. She’s very nice.”

“Nice to a fault,” John said softly, looking at her through the window. 

“We’re going to make sure she’s taken care of,” Alex whispered, squeezing John’s hand gently. “I promise, J. We’re going to make sure your mom and siblings are okay.”

“I know,” John whispered, leaning in to rest his head on Alex’s shoulder, inhaling his dominant’s comforting scent. He loved the smell of Alex’s shampoo and had taken to stealing it at every opportunity but it didn’t seem to smell the same when he used it on himself. 

“I was talking to George and Martha earlier,” Alex whispered, rubbing John’s back. “And they’re going to help in any way they can. We’re going to take care of your family, J.”

“Thank you, sir,” John whispered, wrapping his arms around Alex’s waist and him tight. 

“Let’s go get this over with,” Alex said, kissing John’s temple. “And then when we get back we can spend some time with your siblings. I know you’ve missed them.”

“I have,” John said softly, pulling back and giving Alex a small smile. 

“Let’s go then,” Alex placed a soft kiss on John’s cheek. 

“Yes, sir,” John said, taking a deep breath before stepping away and opening the car door. He climbed in, looking over at his mother with a small smile. “Hi, mom.”

“Hello, John,” she said, turning to him. She gave him a small, slightly forced smile as Alexander climbed into the backseat. 

“You ready to go?” John asked her, buckling his seatbelt. 

“Yes, darling,” she nodded, turning to look back out the front windscreen. John gave a small nod, starting the engine. 

“Alright, let’s go,” John said, taking a deep breath before reversing out of the driveway and heading off to the courthouse. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/a0/70/43/a07043344a18578104414cb9db7cde13.jpg) is the outfit John wears minus the bag and sunglasses.


	3. Wednesday 24th, January

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Jack?” Martha frowned. “This is a good thing. You’ll be the head of the household and have all the control. Dad won’t be able to hurt any of us anymore. You’ll be in control.”_
> 
> _John swallowed, shutting his eyes for a moment as he tapped Alex’s ankle twice. Alex grip tightened slightly on John’s hair for a moment in acknowledgement before leaving his hair. He held out his hand, taking John’s and standing, pulling the submissive along with him._

TO Matty:

I hate court

 

TO Jack:

This is the first time you’ve ever been

 

TO Matty:

You only need to do something once to know you don’t like it.

 

TO Jack:

I suppose

Did anything happen?

 

TO Matty:

No. We’re still waiting. 

Alex is talking to Mom

She seems to like him so that’s good

 

TO Jack:

How’s she doing?”

 

TO Matty:

I can’t tell

She is very good at hiding her thoughts

She refuses to talk about dad

And is only talking to Alex because he’s talking about school

 

TO Jack:

At least she’s talking

Mary and James are making me watch Moana

Again

 

TO Matty:

Where’s Harry?

 

TO Jack:

He went up to his room a few minutes ago

Said he wanted to work on something for school

 

TO Matty:

When does he go back?

 

TO Jack:

James and Harry are lucky 

Their school is weird and doesn’t start again until February

 

TO Matty:

When’s yours start?

 

TO Jack:

I was supposed to go back already

But I stayed because of all of this

 

TO Matty:

Shit, Mat.

 

TO Jack:

It’s fine. I talked to my teachers and headmaster.

 

TO Matty:

Still

This is a mess

I wish this had never happened

 

TO Jack:

I’m happy dad was arrested

Does that make me a bad person?

To be happy for my father’s misfortune?

 

TO Matty:

No, Martha, it just makes you human

It looks like we’re allowed into the courtroom now

I’ll update you when something happens

 

TO Jack:

Okay.

Talk to you soon

—

“Hey, Matty, not sure why you didn’t answer but anyway. The hearing is over. Dad pled guilty to four counts misdemeanour child endangerment, one count of felony child endangerment, and falsifying government documents. Which surprised us. We thought he’d fight it but, ah, yeah, he didn’t. It almost makes me think he’s planning something. But Alex seems to think his lawyers recommended he didn’t bother fighting it because there was overwhelming amounts of evidence against him. They’re holding him in custody until his sentencing tomorrow. Dad’s estate lawyer apparently needs to meet with mom and me about the house and stuff. We’re going to meet with him on Friday. But anyway… ah, I probably could have told you all this in person but mom and Alex are in the store getting things to make lunch and I needed to talk to someone so yeah. We’ll be home soon.”

—

“So he just pled guilty?” Harry frowned, curled up in the corner of the couch. Martha was sat in the armchair across from him, sipping on a mug of tea. Alexander was sat on the other side of the sofa, John kneeling at his feet with his head resting on the dominant’s knee. 

“Yeah,” John said, playing with the edge of Alex’s pant leg. 

“Why would he do that?” Harry looked worried. “Dad does nothing without a fight. Why would he do this?”

“Maybe he feels bad about what he’s done and wants to atone?” Martha suggested, taking a sip of her tea. John and Harry both looked at her, totally unconvinced. “Yeah I know, probably not.”

“He’s probably got something planned,” John said, fingers tracing over Alex’s ankle. “He probably doesn’t care because he knows he’s going to screw us over in some other way.”

“Like what?” Harry asked, chewing on his bottom lip. 

“I don’t know,” John whispered, shifting a little closer to his dominant. Alex gently ran his fingers through John’s hair, trying to provide some comfort to his submissive. John closed his eyes, resting his weight against Alex. 

“Do you think he thinks that you won’t inherit everything?” Martha asked John, watching him with a slight smile. 

“Of course he does, Martha, he removed me from everything,” John whispered.

“Well… not actually,” Martha said, resting her mug on the coffee table. 

“I told you to stop interfering,” John said, looking up at her, eyes narrowing. 

“Yeah, well, when have I ever listened to you,” she shrugged. “I swapped the papers dad was mailing to his lawyer with some blank letters. That was the day before he was arrested so he wouldn’t have noticed yet. And by the time he notices his accounts will have been taken from him and given to you.”

“Maybe that’s what dad’s estate lawyer wants to talk about,” Harry said, looking a little hopeful. “If all of dad’s stuff is transfer to you then everything will be okay.”

“Yeah,” John whispered, looking away from his siblings. 

“Jack?” Martha frowned. “This is a good thing. You’ll be the head of the household and have all the control. Dad won’t be able to hurt any of us anymore. You’ll be in control.”

John swallowed, shutting his eyes for a moment as he tapped Alex’s ankle twice. Alex grip tightened slightly on John’s hair for a moment in acknowledgement before leaving his hair. He held out his hand, taking John’s and standing, pulling the submissive along with him. 

“John and I are going to go rest,” Alex said, wrapping his arm around John’s waist. “And we’ve got some reading we need to do for the classes we’re missing. We’ll be done later for dinner.”

Martha’s brow furrowed, “Jack-”

“Matty,” Harry interrupted, giving her a look. “Jack clearly needs a break. This is a lot, Matty. And I know you don’t get it because you’re not a sub so stop.”

“Right,” Martha nodded, looking a bit regretful. “Sorry, Jack.”

“S’fine,” John whispered, resting his head on Alex’s shoulder. 

“We’ll call you when dinner is ready,” Harry said, giving Alex a soft smile. 

“Thank you, Harry,” Alex said, giving the submissive a gentle nod before leaving the living room, taking John upstairs to his bedroom. Once the bedroom door was close John sighed, sounding exhausted and sad. “John, darling, what do you need?”

“I don’t wanna think,” John whispered, clutching at Alex’s shirt.

“Okay, I can help with that,” Alex whispered, kissing John’s temple. “Change into the sweatpants and t-shirt that you brought. Fold your clothes from today and pack them away.”

“Yes, sir,” John whispered, moving away from Alex to do as he was told. Alex went to his bag, pulling out the blindfold and silk rope he’d brought with him. He also changed into something more comfortable, pulling on an old soft t-shirt and pair of shorts. John finished getting changed first and stood in the center of the room, looking like a lost puppy in need of guidance. It made Alex’s chest tight to see his boyfriend so distressed. 

“Come here, J,” Alex said, sitting on the edge of the bed, the rope and blindfold resting next to him. John went over, stepping between Alex’s legs. “I’m going to put this blindfold on you, John, and tie your hands. And you’re going to lay here and listen while I do some reading for my classes.” John nodded, a bit of tension disappearing. “You’re not to talk unless you need to safeword. All I want you to do is focus on my voice and touch. Nothing else matters right now expect you being my good boy. And you are, John, you are my good boy.”

A soft whine escaped John at the praise, a light blush spreading across his cheeks. Alex smiled, taking John’s hand and kissing the back of it. 

“Climb up on the bed, J, and kneel in the center,” Alex whispered, smiling softly. “Hands behind your back, eyes closed.” John did as he was told, settling in the center of the bed. Alex moved behind him, gently wrapping the rope around John’s wrists, tying them securely but not too tightly. “That good?” John nodded, exhaling slowly. “Good boy.” Alex grabbed the blindfold, wrapping it around John’s eyes and tying it before helping John lay down. “Now, stay here, John. I’m going to get my textbook.”

John whined softly when Alex’s hands left him, feeling vulnerable with his hands tight and vision obscured. 

“Shh, darling,” Alex ran his fingers through John’s hair. “It’s okay, darling, I’m right here. I’m just going to grab my textbook. I’ll be gone for less than ten seconds. I’m not leaving you alone.” John exhaled slowly, giving a small nod. “Good boy, John. You’re such a good boy for me, J.” Alex kept up a stream of praises while he climbed off the bed, moving the two steps across the room to grab his textbook out of his bag before returning to the bed. He settled against the headboard, resting a hand on John’s head to encourage his submissive to shift closer. John snuggled into Alex’s side, face pressed into the side of Alex’s leg while the dominant opened up his textbook, beginning to read out loud. 

—

“Hi, John, sweetheart, it’s Martha. Alexander told us what is going on. I just want you to know that if there is anything George or I can do to help, anything at all, please give us a call. We’re happy to help in any way we can.”

—

“John, mon ami, Alexander sent us a message about the hearing. I’m glad your father is getting punished for his crimes. I know this is stressful but everything is going to be okay. Call me if you need to talk.”

—

“Um, hi, John, it’s ah, it’s Thomas. I know we’re not particularly friends or anything but I heard what’s going on from Lafayette. And I know how hard dealing with a shit family can be. So, ah, if you want to talk to someone who was raised in a similar environment, I’m happy to listen.” 

—

“John, darling,” Alex ran his fingers down John’s cheek, brushing hair out of the way. “It’s time to get up, sweetheart, it’s almost dinner time.” John groaned, rolling over a bit, only to find it was difficult to move with his hands still tied behind his back. “Stay still, darling, and I’ll untie you.” Alex’s hands were gentle as he carefully untied John, massaging his stiff muscles briefly before moving to untie the blindfold. “Keep your eyes closed for a minute, darling, while I dim the lights. I don’t want you to hurt your head.”

John gave a small nod, sighing softly into the pillow. Alex shifted, leaning over and switching off the side lamp he’d been using to read, leaving the only light source being the light drifting in from the cracked bathroom door. 

“Okay, J, you can open your eyes now,” Alex said, gently running his fingers through John’s hair. The submissive sighed, turning over and opening his eyes slowly to look up at Alex, who smiled fondly down at him. “Feeling better, John?”

“Yes, sir,” he whispered, voice a little hoarse. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, J,” Alex smiled, shifting to lay down next to him. “Thank you for telling me when things were getting too much. Thank you for trusting me to take care of you.”

John smiled, shifting to curl into Alex, resting his head on his dom’s chest. Alexander wrapped his arms around John, hugging him close and pressing a kiss to the top of his head. 

“I don’t want to be the head of the household,” John whispered, clutching Alex’s t-shirt. “I don’t want to have that much pressure on my shoulders, Alex. I can’t deal with that.”

“You wouldn’t have to do it alone,” Alex whispered, rubbing John’s back gently. “I will be here to support you.”

“I wish you could just do it,” John whispered. 

“We’d have to be married for me to become the head of your household, J,” Alex reminded him softly, fingers dipping under the edge of John’s shift to trace gentle circles on the submissive’s lower back. 

“We should get married then,” John whispered, truthfully only half joking.

“John, we’ve been dating for less than a month,” Alex said, gently pulling John’s head up so he could look him in the eye. 

“I know,” John whispered. “I was only joking, Alex, don’t worry.”

“I really like you, J,” Alex said, cupping his cheek gently. “Ask me again in a year.”

“Alex,” John sighed, leaning in and kissing him. “I was joking.”

“Sure,” Alex whispered, smiling into the kiss. John huffed, pinching Alex’s side, making the dominant squeal and roll them over so John was trapped under him. “Did you just pinch me?”

“Yes, sir,” John said, eyes bright. 

“Naughty,” Alex said, leaning down and biting John’s neck. John groaned, tilting his head back to better expose his neck. 

“You gonna punish me, sir?” John whispered. 

“I should,” Alex said, running a hand down John’s chest. “I-”

“Jack!” Mary yelled, knocking on the door. “Jack! Dinner is ready!”

“We’re coming, Mary,” John called back, glancing over at the door. 

“Okay!” She said before running away. 

“I guess who’ll have to punish me later,” John said, turning back to Alex with a smile. 

“I guess I will,” Alex said, leaning down and kissing him gently before rolling off of John and standing. “Come on, John. Let’s go eat.”

“Yes, sir,” John said, climbing off the bed and taking Alex’s hand, following him out of the bedroom. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is turning out to be a lot less angst-filled than originally planned. I guess part of me decided John needed a break...


	4. Thursday, 25th January

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Why do you call Alex his name and not Sir like submissives are supposed to?” James asked, voice curious and not accusatory._
> 
> _“Because Alex likes when I call him his name,” John explained. “And I do call him Sir sometimes. But he's not just my dom he’s my boyfriend too.”_
> 
> _“But dad always said that submissives are meant to respect their doms and Sir is a sign of respect,” James sounded confused._
> 
> _“I do respect Alexander,” John said, turning around to face his brother. “And Alex respects me. There are more ways to show respect than just calling someone Sir or ma’am.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, my friends. 
> 
> **Warning: This chapter contains a shooting. Some gets shot. It's not an overly descriptive scene since I know like nothing about gunshot wounds and such but if you want to avoid it, it's right after Alex and John leave the courthouse until it cuts to voice messages.**

“Dad’s sentencing hearing is today right?” Martha said, sliding a bowl of cereal over to Mary. 

“Yes,” John nodded, glancing over his shoulder before returning his attention to the waffles he was making for himself and Alexander. “It's at noon. Alex and I are going to go with Mom.”

“Jack?” James said, mouth full of toast. 

“Yes, Jemmy?”

“Why do you call Alex his name and not Sir like submissives are supposed to?” James asked, voice curious and not accusatory. 

“Because Alex likes when I call him his name,” John explained. “And I do call him Sir sometimes. But he's not just my dom he’s my boyfriend too.”

“But dad always said that submissives are meant to respect their doms and Sir is a sign of respect,” James sounded confused. 

“I do respect Alexander,” John said, turning around to face his brother. “And Alex respects me. There are more ways to show respect than just calling someone Sir or ma’am.”

“You don't act like dad says submissives should,” Mary said, watching John for a moment before turning to Alex. “And you don't act like how dad says dominants should.”

“And how does your dad think dominants should act?” Alex asked. 

“Loud,” Mary said. 

“Controlling,” James added. 

“They should command total respect from their submissives,” Mary continued, sounding like she was reciting something she’d been told. 

“Well Alex is very loud,” John chuckled, plating the waffles and bringing them over to where Alex was sat. “And he does have my total respect. But he didn't get that respect through fear and intimidation. He got it because he is patient and kind, generous and thoughtful. He listens to me and always tries to do what's best for me.”

“I don't want my submissive to be scared of me,” Mary said softly, frowning a bit. 

“A good dominant doesn't want their submissive to be scared,” Alex said, cutting the waffle and feeding a piece to John. “Dominants and submissives may need different things biologically to thrive but neither are better than the other.” Mary nodded thoughtfully, looking down at her bowl of cereal. “I'm sure you'll be a wonderful dominant for someone one day, Mary,” Alex said, reaching over and resting a hand on her arm. “Just remember to listen to your submissive. Communication is the most important thing.”

“Okay, Alex,” she looked up and gave him a shy smile before resuming eating her breakfast. 

“Thank you, Alex,” John whispered, resting his head on his dominant’s shoulder. 

“Alex?” James said softly, looking a little nervous. 

“Yes, James?” Alex said, turning to the younger submissive.

“Can you be a good dominant and have more than one submissive?” He asked, nervously fiddling with his wrist cuff. 

“Oh yes, of course, James,” Alex nodded, smiling gently at him. “As long as all parties involved are consenting a dominant can have as many submissives as they want. And same for a submissive having multiple doms.”

“Okay,” James nodded, looking relieved. 

“Communication and consent,” John said, reaching out and patting James’ cheek gently. “Those are the most important things, Jem.”

“Thanks, Jack,” James gave his brother a smile. 

“You’re welcome,” John said, accepting the bit of waffle from Alexander’s fork. 

“Good morning,” Eleanor said, coming into the kitchen, dressed and ready in a simple black and yellow dress. 

“Morning, mama,” Mary said, sliding off her stool and going over, hugging Eleanor’s waist. Eleanor hugged her back, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her daughter’s curls. 

“Would you like some breakfast, mama?” James asked, jumping out of his chair and going to where an assortment of breakfast food were on the counter. 

“There’s some waffles,” John said, stealing a sip of Alex’s coffee.

“Or some cereal,” Mary said, taking Eleanor’s hand and leading her over to sit at the counter. “Or toast. Or eggs. Or-“

“I can get it myself,” Eleanor said, giving Mary a gentle smile. 

“We wanna take care of you, mama,” Mary said, smiling sweetly up at her. “You’re always taking care of us.”

Eleanor sighed softly, cupping Mary’s cheek and leaning in to kiss her forehead. “Thank you, darling. Some toast sounds lovely.”

“With jam?” James asked, grabbing a couple slices of bread and putting them into the toaster. 

“Yes please,” Eleanor nodded, looking over at him with a smile. 

“Coming right up!” James said, grinning at her. Eleanor’s smile wasn't as bright but it was genuine as she watched her youngest son prepare two slices of toast. 

—

“John?” Alex said softly, holding his submissive’s hand tight as they walked into the courthouse. 

“Yes, sir?” John whispered, glancing over at him. 

“Same rules as yesterday, okay?” Alex said, leaning over and kissing John’s cheek gently. 

“Yes, sir,” John smiled, squeezing Alex’s hand. 

“Good boy,” Alex smiled. “And after we’re done here you can have a reward.”

“Reward?” John’s eyes lit up. “What kind of reward, sir?”

“You’ll have to wait and see,” Alex teased, kissing John gently. John grumbled under his breath but didn’t argue as Alex led him into the courtroom, Eleanor walking a couple steps ahead of them. 

“Keep an eye on your mom, John,” Alex reminded John softly as they sat down next to Eleanor. 

“Yes, sir,” John whispered, glancing over at his mother before turning to pay attention to what was happening in front of him. His father was already there, sat between the two lawyers working on his case. The prosecutor was sat at the other table, looking over a few documents while they waited for the judge. While they waited John played with Alex’s fingers, head resting on his shoulder. At one point Henry turned around, locking eyes with his son. John stiffened but didn’t move, staying curled into Alex’s side. Alex squeezed his hand gently, rubbing his thumb over his skin. John stared back at his father, not willing to back down. Eventually, Henry looked away, turning back around as the judge came in. 

John tried to pay attention to all that was being said but honestly he wasn’t able to keep up with most of it. The comforting warmth of Alexander pressed into his side and the feeling of his dominant’s hand wrapped around his was too distracting. Plus, the promise of a reward when they returned home was far more interesting than whatever the prosecutor was saying. John was too focused on trying to figure out what Alexander had in mind and he completely missed the entire hearing, only really focusing when Alexander forced him to sit up properly.

“John?” Alex sounded worried and John tilted his head slightly. Why was Alex worried?

“Yes, sir?” John said, looking up. 

“Are you alright?” Alex asked softly, gently cupping John’s cheek. 

“Yes of course,” John said, nodding. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You’ve been really quiet and haven’t reacted to anything,” Alex said softly. “I was just worried.”

“Sorry,” John whispered, smiling sheepishly. “I was a little distracted.”

“Distracted?” Alex smiled fondly. 

“Yeah, about my reward,” John said, giving a small shrug. Alex chuckled, pressing a kiss to John’s lips before standing. 

“Come on, John, let’s go,” Alex pulled him up. “Your mom has already gone outside.”

“How much time did my dad get?” John asked, squeezing Alex’s hand. 

“Twenty years,” Alex said, guiding him out of the courtroom. “Eligible for parole after fifteen.”

“Twenty years,” John whispered, looking down at his feet. 

“You’re safe,” Alex said, pulling John close, kissing his temple. John smiled, resting his head on Alex’s shoulder as they made their way out of the courthouse and down the stairs. 

Later, John would look back and try to figure out if there was a way things could have turned out differently. If he had been paying more attention to his surroundings instead of being completely wrapped up in Alexander than maybe he would have noticed the figure approaching them. Maybe he would have seen the gun before it was too late. 

“John Laurens,” an unfamiliar male voice called, making John look away from Alex. “Your father says hello.”

There was a split second of confusion before John saw the gun, pointed directly at him. And barely a second later there was the deafening sound of the shot. Alex screamed. John didn’t know what he said. He frowned as his vision blurred. John looked down, gasping softly at the blood staining his shirt over his left shoulder.

“John?” Alex said, pressing a hand to John’s shoulder, making John hiss in pain. 

“Lex?” John leaned into him. There was shouting around them. 

“John, darling,” Alex said, pressing down on John’s shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding. John whimpered, tears building in his eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, J. I need to stop the bleeding. I- John.”

“What happened?” John looked around. There were people starting to crowd around them. His mother was nowhere to be seen. “Where’s my mom?”

“I don’t know, J,” Alex said, shifting John to sit on the steps, still holding his shoulder tightly. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I know it hurts.”

“The EMTs are on the way,” some called from the crowd of people. 

“Thank you,” Alex said, glancing away from John briefly. 

“Lex?” John said, darkness starting to creep into the edges of his vision. 

“Yeah, honey?” Alex said, looking back at him. His eyes were filled with terror even if his voice was calm. 

“‘M tired,” John whispered, resting his head on Alex’s shoulder. 

“No,” Alex gave John a little shake, making him moan in pain. “No, John, don’t go to sleep. Stay awake. John, please.”

“Tired,” John whined, breath hitching in pain. 

“I know,” Alex whispered. “I know you’re tired. And you can sleep all you want once you’re all patched up and better.” 

John whimpered, eyes fluttering as he leaned more heavily against Alex. He tried, he tried so hard to listen, to be a good boy for Alexander, but it was so hard and he was so tired. The last thing he heard before he fell asleep was the sound of Alexander sobbing his name.

—

“Jack? Pick up the phone. We saw the news. There was a shooting outside the courthouse? Jack, are you okay? Please call me back. Martha is freaking out. Mary and James don’t know what’s going on yet. Where’s mom? She’s not answering either? Jack? Please call me.”

—

“Alex? Why is no one answering their phones? Alexander, please. Is Jack okay? Are you okay? Is our mom okay? Harry’s trying to call Jack but he’s not answering either. Please call me.”

—

“Alexander, honey, please give me or George a call. We saw the news. We’re worried.”

—

“John! Mon ami! What is going on? Call me!”

—

_John loved swings. Always had, ever since he was a kid. When he was a kid he loved going high and fast, trying to swing his way into the clouds. He’d always loved the idea of flying and would sometimes spend hours in the backyard of his house, staring up at the clouds, watching the birds fly by. He wanted to be a bird, wanted to be able to take flight and fly as far away from home as possible._

_But he didn’t have wings. And he couldn’t fly. So instead he spent hours on swings._

_John kicked his legs lazily, the swing moving back and forth slowly as he looked around him. The swing set he was on was in the middle of a field, not another single thing in sight. That confused John a bit but he didn’t care too much. He tilted his head back, closing his eyes for a moment as the sun shone down on his face. He smiled slightly, opening his eyes to watch the clouds move overhead._

_John liked this field. He loved these swings. It was quiet and peaceful here. No stress. Nothing to worry about. Just the swings and the sky._

_John was going to stay here forever._


	5. Friday, 25th January

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Jack, honey,” Eleanor said softly, gently stroking the hair out of John’s forehead. “It’s time to wake up now, darling.”_
> 
> _John didn’t respond. The only other sound in the room being the rhythmic beep of the heart monitor._
> 
> _“Your Alexander is waiting for you,” Eleanor took John’s hand, squeezing it gently as her eyes drifted to the bandage wrapped around his left shoulder. “We all need you to wake up now, darling.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I'm kind, I decided to not make you lovely readers wait too long for the resolution of last chapter's cliffhanger.

_After a while, the swings grew boring. The perpetual back and forth starting out being soothing, the rhythmic motion relaxing. But even things that you love become boring after too long. John slowed down the swing until it stopped, looking around. The field was still empty and this time it made him frown._

_“Hello?” John called, standing._

_Nothing._

_“Hello?”  He took a couple steps away from the swing. “Is there anyone here?”_

_He got no reply in return, making John sigh. He looked around. The empty field that once felt free now felt cold. He didn’t like it here anymore._

_“I want to go home now,” John said, not really directed at anyone._

_“You can’t.”_

_John whirled around to find a young boy standing in front of him. “Who’re you?”_

_“I’m Jack,” the young boy said, smiling at John. It wasn’t until he introduced himself that John released the young boy looked exactly like he did when he was a kid.  “You can’t go back.”_

_“What do you mean?” John frowned, watching his younger self._

_“You can’t go home,” Jack repeated, rolling his eyes._

_“But I want to,” John’s frown deepened._

_“Well, you can’t,” Jack shrugged, heading back to the swing. “Come swing with me.”_

_“No,” John said, shaking his head and looking around. “I’m going home.”_

_“You can try,” Jack said with a shrug, climbing onto the swing and kicking his legs back and forth. John watched him for a moment before sighing and turning away, starting to walk in the direction of the horizon._

_—_

Alex paced the length of the waiting room. He wasn’t allowed back into John’s room because he wasn’t family and no amount of arguing with the nurse seemed to be working. He tried to explain that John was his boyfriend, his submissive, and that he needed to be there when John woke to make sure he stayed calm and didn’t drop. But no one seemed to care. After being threatened about being thrown out of the hospital he gave up, returning to the small waiting room and pulling out his phone to answer the dozens of text messages and calls he’d been receiving. 

John’s surgery had gone well and the doctors were expecting for John to be fine. Eleanor was back in his recovery room, sitting at his bedside since she was allowed. The other Laurens siblings were all at home; Martha had explained to the younger children what had happened but it was decided that it would be best if they stayed home. At least until John was awake. No one thought Mary or James should have the image of their unconscious elder brother in their minds. 

The first time John woke was for less than a minute. His eyelids fluttered open long enough for his mother to softly call his name before they slipped shut again. 

—

_“I told you it won’t work,” Jack said, watching as John walked in circles._

_“I’m going home,” John said firmly._

_“You’re not allowed,” Jack kicked his legs harder, swinging higher._

_“Says who?” John frowned at him._

_“I don’t know,” Jack said, shrugging. “You’re just not allowed.”_

_“I have to go back,” John said insistently._

_“Why?”_

_“I have to go back to my dom,” John said, running a hand through his hair. “He’s probably upset with me. I didn’t listen.”_

_“Dad says I’m a dom,” Jack said, frowning and stopping the movement of his legs._

_“Dad’s wrong,” John huffed, crossing his arms. Jack hummed, looking away from John and watching the clouds._

_—_

“Jack, honey,” Eleanor said softly, gently stroking the hair out of John’s forehead. “It’s time to wake up now, darling.”

John didn’t respond. The only other sound in the room being the rhythmic beep of the heart monitor. 

“Your Alexander is waiting for you,” Eleanor took John’s hand, squeezing it gently as her eyes drifted to the bandage wrapped around his left shoulder. “We all need you to wake up now, darling.”

—

_“What is this place?” John asked, sitting down on the swing next to Jack._

_“I don’t know,” Jack looked over at him._

_“How long have you been here?”_

_“I don’t know.”_

_“Why can’t we go home?”_

_“I don’t know.”_

_“What do you know?”_

_“I know that I like swinging,” Jack said, legs moving back and forth at a steady pace._

_“I like swinging too,” John sighed. “But your whole life cannot be about swinging, Jack.”_

_“Why not?” Jack looked confused._

_“Because,” John exhaled slowly, “because if you spend all your time swinging you’ll never experience all the other great things life has to offer.”_

_“Life doesn’t seem that great,” Jack said, grip tight on the metal chains of the swing._

_“Yeah I know,” John said, looking over at the younger version of himself. “Life probably doesn’t look too great for you right now.”_

_Jack hummed, looking out in front of him, swinging back and forth, up and down._

_—_

“Please, can I see him?” Alex pleaded, leaning against the nurses’ station. “Just for a minute. I just need to see that he’s okay.” 

“I’m sorry, Mr Hamilton,” the nurse said. He was young, maybe a few years old that Alexander. “But hospital policy only allows family members in the ICU recovery rooms.”

“But I’m his dom,” Alex said, tone verging on desperation. He was exhausted from being awake for over twenty-four hours at that point. He needed to see his submissive. He needed to see that John was okay. Needed to get the picture of John bleeding out in his arms out of his head. 

“I understand that, Mr Hamilton,” Nurse Andrew said. “But since Mr Laurens does not wear your collar, you are not listed in his medical records, and he is unconscious and unable to confirm or deny this claim, I cannot let you into his room.”

Alex let out a groan, head falling and landing on the nurses’ station. He needed to cry. He was going to cry. Desperation and annoyance and lingering fear threatened to overwhelm him. He gripped the edges of the counter tight, forcing himself to take a deep breath. It would do no good for him to have a drop right now. Especially since the one person who could help him was unconscious in a bed down the hall. 

“Mr Hamilton?” Nurse Andrews said, reaching over and resting a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “Mr Hamilton, are you experiencing a dom drop right now?”

“No, no I’m fine,” Alex said, swallowing and forcing himself to stand up. 

“Because if you were,” Nurse Andrews’ voice grew quieter. “If you were then I would be allowed to let you into your submissive’s room.” Alex looked up at him, noting the sympathetic look in the nurse’s eyes. Nurse Andrews gave him a soft smile, “So, Mr Hamilton, are you experiencing dom drop?”

“Yes,” Alex said softly, nodding slightly. “Yes.”

“Come with me then,” Nurse Andrews said, hand falling away from Alex’s shoulder so he could move around the nurses’ station. He rested a hand on Alex’s shoulder, guiding him to the locked doors of the ICU. 

_—_

_“I’m not a dom,” Jack whispered, looking down at his feet._

_“I know,” John said softly._

_“Dad says I am,” Jack looked up at John._

_“I know,” John gave him a sad smile._

_“I don’t want to lie.” Jack’s eyes were sad._

_“I know,” John sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. “And one day you won’t have to anymore.”_

_“You have a dom,” Jack continued to swing lazily._

_“Yeah,” John nodded, looking out over the horizon. “His name is Alex.”_

_“Is he nice?” Jack’s head tilted slightly to the side while he watched John._

_“The nicest,” John smiled, thinking about Alexander’s kind voice and gentle touch._

_“Do you love him?” Jack asked, toes of his shoes dragging in the grass as he slowed himself down._

_“We’ve only been dating a month,” John said softly, glancing over at Jack. “So no. But I do like him a lot. And can see myself loving him one day.”_

_Jack hummed thoughtfully, “John?”_

_“Yes?”_

_“Why doesn’t dad love us?”_

_—_

Alex traced his fingers down John’s cheek. The impending drop had disappeared almost instantly when he saw the proof that John was alive. Unconscious but alive. Nurse Andrews had told him he could stay until the next shift change in two hours. Alex had thanked him sincerely without taking his gaze off of his submissive. Eleanor was still sat on John’s other side, gently holding his hand and watching her son’s face. 

“He woke up briefly earlier,” Eleanor told Alex softly. “For less than a minute but his eyes opened.”

“He’s going to be okay,” Alex said, leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss on John’s forehead. “He’s strong.”

—

_“Why doesn’t dad love us?” Jack repeated when John didn’t answer._

_“I don’t know, Jack,” John said softly, looking up at the sky. The clouds had disappeared and now there was just endless blue sky._

_“Does Alex love us?” Jack asked, no longer swinging and just sitting, looking over to John._

_“I don’t know,” John whispered, looking down to touch the still healing skin on his left wrist. “Maybe not. Not yet. But he does care about us a lot.”_

_“I want to be happy, John,” Jack whispered, looking down at his own wrist where his grey cuff sat._

_“You will be,” John promised. “One day.”_

_“Are you happy?” Jack’s voice was soft, hesitant. Like he was searching for something._

_“I am,” John said, soft but confident. “I am very happy now, Jack.”_

_“Good,” Jack said softly, giving John a small smile. “You can go home now.” He pointed out in front of them and John turned. In the middle of the field where nothing was a moment ago now stood a door. Simple, brown with a white handle. John stopped his swing and stood, taking a step towards the door before turning to look at Jack._ _The young boy was gone, an empty swing still moving back and forth slowly. John brushed a strand of hair out of his face before turning to the door. He stood right in front of it, hand reaching out slowly to rest on the handle._

_“Can I come too?” Jack asked, appearing at John’s side, making him jump. John looked down at him, into the hopeful gaze of his younger self and smiled, holding out a hand to him._

_“Of course you can,” John said._

_—_

John woke slowly. The first thing he was the soft beeping of the machines. The steady beat was comforting, a reminder that he was alive. He felt someone holding his hand, a thumb brushing over his skin in small strokes. The touch was nice. Soothing. Grounding.

“I need you to wake up now, John,” a soft voice spoke before a kiss was pressed to his forehead. _Alex_. “The nurses are going to make me leave soon and I would really like to see your beautiful eyes before I have to go.” John’s brow furrowed slightly at those words. Leave? Why would Alex have to leave? “John?” A hand rested against his cheek. “J?” John hummed, forcing his eyes open. The room was bright and it hurt a bit but it was worth it to see the smile on Alex’s face. Alex sighed in relief, leaning in to press their foreheads together. “Oh god, John.”

“Hi,” John whispered, voice hoarse. 

“Hi, baby,” Alex whispered, a couple tears dripping out of his eyes and landing on John’s cheeks. 

“‘M sorry,” John whispered, reaching out to try and take Alex’s hand. The dominant tangled their fingers together, squeezing his hand gently. 

“No, shhh, John, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for,” Alex said, pulling back slightly so he could better see John. 

“I fell asleep,” John whispered, still feeling groggy, his head fuzzy. “You said not to.”

“It’s okay,” Alex said, gently stroking John’s cheek, brushing his hair out of the way. “It’s fine, John. I’m just happy you’re okay.”

“M’kay,” John hummed, leaning into Alex’s hand. “‘M tired.”

“Can you stay awake just a little longer, J?” Alex asked softly, leaning over and pressing the button to call the nurse. “The nurse needs to check you out. And then you can sleep again.”

“I’ll try,” John whispered even as his eyes started to drift closed. 

“Good boy,” Alex praised softly. “You’re sure a good boy.” John smiled, warmth spreading through him at the praise. He managed to keep his eyes open, looking up at Alexander. “God, John. I was so scared. I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Where’s mom?” John asked as the door opened and a nurse came in. 

“She went to go get some coffee,” Alex said, glancing up at Nurse Andrews.

“Hello, Mr Laurens,” Andrews said with a smile. “I’m glad to see you’re awake. How’re you feeling?”

“Tired,” John whispered, squeezing Alex’s hand gently. 

“I’d imagine so, you’re on some pretty strong pain meds,” Andrews nodded, grabbing John’s chart and looking at the machines. “You had surgery to remove the bullet. You were very lucky, Mr Laurens, and the bullet missed all the important parts. You’re going to need some physical therapy and are going to have to take it easy for a while but you’ll be fine.”

“M’kay,” John said, eyes fluttering a bit.

“We’ll keep you in ICU for another couple hours and then move you to a room on the normal ward,” Andrews said, jotting a couple things down on the chart before turning to Alexander. “Now that he’s awake and the risk for subdrop is much higher you can stay with him if he confirms that you are in fact his dominant.”

“He is,” John said quickly, squeezing Alex’s hand tight. “Please don’t make him leave.”

“I won’t, sweetie,” Andrews said, giving John a gentle smile. “Don’t worry. Your dom is staying right there by your side.”

“Thank you,” John whispered, shifting slightly and wincing. 

“Try to stay still, Mr Laurens,” Andrews said, stepping over and helping him adjust his pillows slightly. “And you get some more sleep. Someone will be in again in an hour to check on you.”

“Thank you,” Alex said, giving Andrews a grateful smile. 

“No problem,” Andrews said, leaving and dimming the lights slightly as he went. 

“You should get some more sleep, J,” Alex said, gently running his fingers through John’s hair. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Promise?” John whispered, turning his head to look at Alex. 

“I promise,” Alex whispered, leaning down and kissing John gently. 

“M’kay,” John said softly into his lips, kissing him back before shutting his eyes. It wasn’t long before he was asleep again; this time without any fields or swings or younger versions of himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My mother may be a nurse but, boy, do I not understand medicine. Recovery time/procedure for a gunshot wound to the shoulder? Who knows? Not me certainly.


	6. Friday, 25th January

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“So I should sign it,” John nodded, reaching for the papers and wincing._
> 
> _“Ah, stop that,” Alex gently slapped his hands away. “Keep still, you waffle.”_
> 
> _“Did you just call me a waffle?” John laughed, looking up at Alex, who shrugged._
> 
> _“Stay still, John, you’re going to hurt yourself,” Alex said, gently pressing John’s shoulder into the pillows._

“Alexander! Darling, what’s going on? Is John okay?”

“He’s okay, Martha. He’s been moved from the ICU to the normal ward. The doctors were actually really surprised there wasn’t more damage to his shoulder but apparently the bullet didn’t affect his bones at all which is good. It was a pretty small calibre as well so his recovery time shouldn’t be too long.”

“That’s good. I’m glad to hear he’s okay. How long are they keeping him in the hospital?”

“They want to keep him for a week but John keeps insisting that he wants to leave on Monday so we can get back to campus like we planned. I won’t be able to convince Columbia to let me stay any longer without repercussions but he can. I’m trying to convince him to stay but so far the conversation just makes him panic and almost drop so I’m leaving it alone for now.”

“Probably a good idea, Alex. Let him rest some more and have that conversation when he’s feeling even a little more settled. Do you want me and George to come down? We can be there by tomorrow morning.”

“No, Martha, it’s okay. Thanks though.”

“If you’re sure, sweetheart. Remember if you need anything let us know.”

“I will. I promise.”

“I’ll let you go get back to your boy. Give our love to John.”

“I will. Thanks, Martha.”

“I love you, Alexander.”

“Love you too, Martha.”

—

“Alex!”

“Hey, Laf.”

“How is John?”

“He’s sleeping right now. The surgery went fine. They got the bullet out and was able to patch him up pretty well. He’s going to need physical therapy but he’ll be okay.”

“C’est tres bon, mon ami. We were very worried. How are you?”

“I’m fine, Laf. I wasn’t the one shot.”

“Non, but you did watch your submissive get shot. You’re allowed to be affected by that.”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

“Have you slept, mon ami?”

“Not really. But I will eventually. I’m more worried about John right now.”

“You are no use to him if you collapse from exhaustion, petit lion.”

“I know, Laf. I’ll be fine.”

“D’accord. Call me if there’s anything I can do, oui?”

“Okay, Laf.”

“A bientot, Alexander.”

“A bientot.”

—

“Alex?” John’s voice was soft but it filled the otherwise quiet room. Alex looked up from his phone, instantly standing from the chair he was sat in and moving to John’s bedside.

“Yes, J?” He said softly, fingers brushing lightly over John’s hand. 

“‘M thirsty,” John whispered. 

“Here, darling,” Alex turned and grabbed the cup of water off the side table. He held it to John’s lips, letting the submissive take a few small sips before moving it away. “Better?”

“Yeah, thanks,” John said, sounding a bit more alert than the previous times he’d woken up. 

“No problem,” Alex said, placing the cup back on the table before sitting on the edge of John’s bed. “How’re you feeling, darling?”

John gave a small shrug with his uninjured shoulder, “Better I guess. I’m not as tired. My shoulder hurts though but I guess that’s to be expected huh?”

“Yeah, unfortunately,” Alex said, resting a hand on John’s stomach. “The doctor lowered the dose of painkillers a bit. Said something about addiction and dependency, I wasn’t really listening.”

John gave a small smile, resting his hand on top of Alex’s where it rested on his stomach. “When’s the last time you slept, sir? Or ate?”

“Your mom got me something from the cafeteria before going home to check on your siblings,” Alex said, turning his hand over and tangling his fingers with John’s. 

“What about sleep?” John urged, already suspecting the answer. 

“It’s been a while,” Alex admitted with a shrug. “I was a little preoccupied for a while there, John.”

“Yeah, I know, but you need to sleep, Alex,” John said, squeezing his hand gently. “You need to take care of yourself too.”

“I’ll be fine,” Alex said. “I’m not even tired.”

“Well, that’s a lie,” John said, raising an eyebrow. And, as if the universe was conspiring against Alex to prove John right, Alexander yawned. John laughed, giving Alex’s hand a gentle tug. “Come. This bed’s plenty big enough for both of us. Lay down with me.”

“I don’t think your doctors or nurses will approve,” Alex said, glancing at the door. 

“I’ll just tell them you had to lay with me to stop me from dropping,” John said, pulling a bit more firmly on Alex’s hand. “Please, sir?”

Alex sighed, “Fine alright but I’m blaming it all on you if we get in trouble.”

“That’s fine, sir,” John smiled, releasing Alex’s hand so he could stand and take off his shoes. “They can’t stay mad at me for long. I got shot.”

Alex huffed, shaking his head fondly as he kicked his shoes under the bed and climbed carefully onto the bed. John shifted over slightly, giving Alex a bit more room to curl up beside him. Alex laid down on his side, resting his head on the pillow next to John and wrapping an arm around his waist. John hummed happily, snuggling into his boyfriend. 

“Good?” Alex chuckled, squeezing John’s waist gently.

“Very,” John whispered, shutting his eyes. “I’m gonna sleep some more.”

“You do that, J,” Alex pressed a light kiss to his cheek. 

—

The pair ended up sleeping through multiple checks from both doctors and nurses. Neither stirred when Eleanor returned, this time with a very official businessman in a suit. Eleanor smiled fondly at the sight of her son curled up with Alexander, both with completely peaceful looks on their faces. 

“I’ll wake them,” Eleanor said reluctantly, stepping over and resting a hand on Alex’s shoulder. She shook it gently, “Alexander.” 

Alex woke instantly, looking up at her in confusion. “Mrs Laurens?”

“I need you and John to wake up,” Eleanor said softly. “Mr Parsons, my husband’s estate lawyer, is here and needs to talk to John.”

“Okay,” Alex said, sitting up and running a hand through his hair. “I’ll wake him.”

“Thank you, dear,” Eleanor said, taking a step back. Alex turned to John, leaning down and kissing John’s cheek. 

“John, darling,” Alex whispered, rubbing his back. “I need you to wake up.” John grumbled but opened his eyes, looking up at Alex. “The lawyer is here to talk to you.”

“Lawyer?” John whispered, looking over Alex’s shoulder to the man standing at the foot of the bed. “Oh. Hello, Mr Parsons.”

“Hello, John,” Mr Parsons said, giving him a small nod. 

“What did you need to talk about?” John asked as Alex climbed off the bed. He grabbed the remote and pressed it, making the bed raise a bit so John was sitting up a bit. 

“Your father’s estate and assets,” Mr Parsons said, resting his briefcase on the tray table at the foot of the bed. “You are still listed as the main heir of your father’s estate so now that he is in prison, everything is signed over to you.”

“Oh,” John breathed, swallowing. “What does that mean for me?”

“It means you have control of all your father’s accounts, investments, and estates,” Mr Parsons took some papers out of his briefcase. “Once you sign these documents everything is yours to do with as you wish.”

“Right,” John nodded, looking at the stack of papers Mr Parsons rested on the tray table. 

“You can take some time to read them over,” he said, shutting his briefcase. “And once you sign just have them sent to my office. Once we receive them it’ll take about a week for you to get access to the accounts.”

“Okay,” John nodded, biting his bottom lip.

“If you have any questions, let me know,” Mr Parsons said, picking up his briefcase. “I’ll leave you to rest, John.”

“Thanks,” John whispered, looking down at his lap as Mr Parsons left.

“John, honey?” Eleanor said, taking his hand. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, mom, I’m fine,” John said softly, looking up and giving her a smile. “I’m just a little overwhelmed I guess.”

Eleanor gave him a sad smile, leaning down and kissing his forehead. John shut his eyes, sighing softly. 

“You should go home, mom. I’m fine here with Alex. And I’m sure everyone is worried.”

“Are you sure, baby?” She asked softly, gently brushing a curl behind his ear.

“I’m sure,” John nodded, opening his eyes and smiling at her. “They need you more than I do.”

“Okay, my sweet boy,” Eleanor said, pressing another kiss to his forehead before stepping away. “Call me if you need anything.”

“We will,” Alex promised. Eleanor gave both boys a smile before leaving, glancing over her shoulder as she left. Alex grabbed the stack of papers before climbing back onto the bed. “Shall we look these over?”

“Do we have to do it right now?” John sighed, pouting up at Alex.

“We should probably do it as soon as possible, John,” Alex said, looking down at him. 

“Can you just read it and tell me if I should sign it or not?” John grumbled.

“No, John,” Alex said firmly. “I told you I wouldn’t make major decisions for you, J.”

“Yeah I know but you know more about legal speak than me,” John said. “So can you read it and then tell me if anything sounds funny. I’m not going to understand it, Alex. And I trust you.”

Alex hesitated for a moment before nodding, “Fine, okay. I’ll read it and bring any relevant passages to your attention. But the decision to sign it or make changes is yours.”

“Okay,” John let out a relieved sigh. “Thank you, sir.”

“You’re welcome, darling,” Alex said, kissing John’s temple. “Now, you rest some more. I’ve got some reading to do.”

“Yes, sir,” John whispered.

—

“How’s he doing?” Harry whispered, watching his brother sleep.

“He’s okay,” Alex said, resting a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Tired. And sore. But okay.”

“Mom said Mr Parsons visited,” Harry said softly. “She said everything is John’s now.”

“It is,” Alex nodded, glancing at the stack of papers on the side table. “Or it will be when your brother signs those.”

“That’s a very big document,” Harry said, raising an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, it is,” Alex nodded. “I read through it though and there isn’t any funny business.”

“So he should sign it?” Harry asked, looking back over to the sleeping John. 

“That’s his choice,” Alex said, squeezing Harry’s shoulder. “I’m not making major life choices for him.”

“But you’re his dom,” Harry frowned, looking back to him. 

“Yes, but we’ve only been dating a month and aren’t married,” Alex said. “And I haven’t known him long enough to feel comfortable choosing things that I know he will not come to resent.”

Harry nodded slowly, speaking softly, “My dad was trying to arrange a marriage for me.”

“Well, John is in control of that now,” Alex said softly. “So no arranged marriages.”

“And if I like the person?” Harry whispered, biting his lip. 

“Oh?” Alex’s eyes lit up a bit, eyebrows raising. “Is that so?”

“Yeah, ah,” Harry flushed a bit, ducking his head. “Dad was working on arranging a marriage with a classmate of mine. And, ah, we are kinda maybe possibly a thing?”

“A thing?” Alex chuckled. 

“Yeah, I mean,” Harry blushed harder. “I don’t know for sure but, yeah.”

“Well, I mean if you and this mystery boy want to go ahead with the arranged marriage then I’m sure your brother will take that into consideration,” Alex said, squeezing Harry’s shoulder gently. 

“Eli,” Harry said, smiling shyly. “His name is Eli.”

“Who’s Eli?” John asked, pulling Alex and Harry’s attention to the bed. 

“Oh, um, he’s, ah, well,” Harry stuttered. 

“He’s Harry’s boyfriend,” Alex chuckled, going over to sit on the side of the bed.

“Boyfriend?” John raised an eyebrow. “Dad let you have a boyfriend?”

“Well, ah, he’s also the dominant dad was trying to arrange my marriage with so,” Harry shrugged. 

“Ah, I see,” John nodded, smiling at his brother. “And lucky you, you actually want to marry him.”

“Yeah,” Harry nodded. “I mean, maybe? I’m only fifteen, Jack. I’m not really thinking about marriage right now.”

“Well, if you want we can continue the marriage negotiations,” John hummed. “And maybe set up a preliminary betrothal contract that you can break if you end up not wanting to get married to him.”

“Thanks, Jack,” Harry said, smiling. “That sounds great.”

“I’ll take care of it once I’ve got control of all of dad’s accounts and assets,” John promised. 

“Thanks,” Harry said again. “You hungry? There’s a place down the street that does kickass pizza.”

“Sure, Harry, I could eat,” John smiled. “You’re gonna have to sneak that past the nurses though.”

“Yeah, that’s fine, I’m very sneaky,” Harry shrugged, giving a small wave before leaving. 

“So,” John turned to Alex. “Did you finish reading it?”

“Yeah,” Alex nodded. “There are a couple sections you should read. But I didn’t see anything that you should be overly concerned about.”

“So I should sign it,” John nodded, reaching for the papers and wincing. 

“Ah, stop that,” Alex gently slapped his hands away. “Keep still, you waffle.”

“Did you just call me a waffle?” John laughed, looking up at Alex, who shrugged. 

“Stay still, John, you’re going to hurt yourself,” Alex said, gently pressing John’s shoulder into the pillows. 

“The sooner I sign, the sooner I get control, the sooner I can take care of my mom and siblings,” John said.

“You still need to read over those passages,” Alex said, flicking John’s nose gently. “And you've barely given any thought to if you should sign or not.”

“You said there's no funny business,” John shrugged. “I trust you. I'm going to sign.”

“You need to read those sections,” Alex said firmly. “I'm not letting you sign until you've read them.”

“I thought you're not making big decisions for me,” John grumbled. 

“I'm not but I'm also not letting you make big decisions without giving them the proper amount of thought and consideration,” Alex said, grabbing the papers and putting them in John’s lap. “As your boyfriend. Not your dom.”

“Fine,” John sighed, looking down at the papers. “I'm guessing the pages with the little sticky tabs are the important ones.”

“Yes,” Alex nodded. 

“Where did you get sticky tabs anyway?” John asked, flicking to the first section. 

“From the nurses’ station,” Alex shrugged, sitting down in the chair by the bed. John rolled his eyes fondly before starting to read. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Medicine is a mystery to me. Can you get shot in the shoulder and not hit bone? Probably not. Will I just pretend that you can? Hell yes. No one is reading this story for the medical accuracy. Nor the accuracy of inheritance laws and procedure.


	7. Saturday, 26th - Tuesday, 29th January

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Hey, sir?” John said, eyes sparkling a bit. “I never did get that reward.” Alex laughed, leaning in and kissing his submissive gently. John hummed, kissing him back._
> 
> _“My original plan was time-sensitive,” Alex whispered, pressing their foreheads together. “But I promise you can have a reward when we get back to New York.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am weak and impatient and have no self-control so here is the last chapter. Two in one day.

John signed the documents early Saturday morning and had Martha promise she’d deliver them to Mr Parsons’ office first thing Monday. The rest of Saturday was spent with John resting between visits from his siblings and check-ups from his doctors. His wounds were healing well but the doctors had made no comment as to when he would be allowed to leave.

Late Saturday afternoon a police officer arrived with news about the man who had shot John. 

“He was hired by your father,” Officer Isaac said. “We have evidence that your father hired him. And we will be charging the gunman with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Your father will also be charged with the same.”

“What type of sentence does that carry?” Eleanor asked, hand clasped around John’s.  

“Ten to fifteen years,” Officer Isaac said. 

“Will I have to testify?” John asked. 

“No, Mr Laurens,” he said. “We have substantial evidence, plenty to ensure a conviction without you testifying.”

“Okay, good,” John whispered, looking down at his lap. Eleanor squeezed his hand as Alex gently pressed a kiss to John’s cheek.

“You okay, J?” Alex whispered.

“Yes, sir, just tired,” John whispered, looking over at Alex.

“I’ll let you rest,” Officer Isaac said. “We’ll be in touch if we need anything from you.”

“Thank you, Officer,” Eleanor said softly. Officer Isaac nodded and smiled before leaving. 

“I’m gonna go to sleep now,” John whispered, looking up at Alex with wide and slightly sad eyes.

“You do that, darling,” Alex whispered, smiling softly at him. “Martha is going to bring you something good to eat in a little bit. I’ll wake you when she gets here.”

“M’kay, sir,” John whispered, giving Eleanor’s hand a gentle squeeze before falling asleep.

———

“I want to go home,” John said early Sunday afternoon, pouting at Alexander. “I’m tired of being here. I’m fine. My stitches are fine. I’ll be careful. I want to leave.”

“You can’t leave until the doctors give you permission,” Alex said, dropping a card onto the small pile on the tray table. 

“Our flight is on Tuesday morning,” John said, looking at the cards in his hand. “I need to go back to Columbia.”

“You just got shot, John, rushing things is going to do you no good,” Alex said, looking over at his submissive. “You need to rest.”

“I’ve done nothing but rest for the past couple days. I want to get out of here, Alex,” John sighed. 

“I know, darling, and as soon as the doctors clear you we can go,” Alex gave him a gentle smile. “I’m sure they’ll let you go soon.”

“Fine,” John pouted, discarding a couple cards from his hand.

“Don’t pout, darling,” Alex leaned over, kissing him gently. “You’ll get out of here soon.”

“I don’t like it here,” John whispered, resting his cards face down on his lap. 

“I know,” Alex said softly, sadly. He brushed the hair back out of John’s face. “I’ll talk to the doctors and see what they’re saying, okay?”

“Okay, sir, thank you,” John whispered, giving Alex a small smile. Alex pressed another light kiss to John’s lips before leaning back and resuming their game.

—

“Everything looks okay,” Doctor Alverez said, her eyes skimming over John’s chart. “If things stay this way then we can release you tomorrow with a referral to a physiotherapy clinic in New York.”

“Great!” John grinned, looking over at Alexander with excitement. “That’s great. We can get back to New York on time, Alexander.”

“Yes, John, we can,” Alex said, gently rubbing his thumb over the back of John’s hand. 

“You will need to continue to wear the sling,” Dr Alverez said. “At least for a month. And arrange follow up appointments with your doctor in the city. We can have your chart sent along once an appointment as he scheduled.”

“Okay, I’ll make sure to book an appointment as soon as I return,” John promised.

“Good, good,” Dr Alverez returned his chart to its spot at the foot of the bed. “We’ll make sure you’ve got a prescription for pain medication when you leave.”

“Thank you, Doctor Alverez,” Alex said, squeezing John’s hand gently. 

“You’re welcome,” she smiled, giving the couple a small nod. “I’m here for another couple hours so if you have any questions let the nurses know and they’ll come find me.”

“Thanks,” John said with a small smile. She nodded before leaving, shutting the door softly behind her. As soon as she was gone John turned to Alexander, a bright grin spreading across his face, “I get to leave.”

“Yes,” Alex chuckled, shaking his head fondly. “Yes, you do.”

“Hey, sir?” John said, eyes sparkling a bit. “I never did get that reward.” Alex laughed, leaning in and kissing his submissive gently. John hummed, kissing him back. 

“My original plan was time-sensitive,” Alex whispered, pressing their foreheads together. “But I promise you can have a reward when we get back to New York.”

“Okay, sir,” John whispered, smiling and reaching up to brush his fingers over Alex’s cheeks. “Thank you, Alex. For being here.”

“Of course, John,” Alex said, turning to press a kiss to John’s fingers. “There is nowhere I would rather be.”

“Really?” John raised an eyebrow. “I would have thought you’d want to be in class instead of stuck in a hospital room.”

“I want to be with you,” Alex said, climbing into the bed and laying down next to John. “You’re my boyfriend and my submissive. I want to be with you and support you. Even if that takes me away from my classes. You’re more important than a few missed classes.”

John blushed, shifting to curl into Alex as much as he could while still hooked up to the machines and with the sling on. Alex moved around, wrapping an arm around John’s waist and pulling him a little closer so John could tuck his face into the side of Alex’s neck. 

“I’m gonna sleep some more,” John whispered, lips brushing against Alex’s throat. 

“Okay, J,” Alex said, kissing the top of his head. “I’ll wake you when your mom gets here with Mary and James.”

“Thanks, sir,” John said softly.

—

“Are you really going back to New York on Tuesday?” Mary whined, sitting on the edge of John’s bed. Alex had gone to make a couple phone calls and get some fresh air while Mary and James kept John company. Eleanor was out in the hallway talking to John's doctor. 

“Yes, Mary,” John nodded, eating a couple pieces of the fruit they’d smuggled in for him. “Alex and I have to get back to class.”

“But I’ve missed you, Jack,” she pouted. “And I didn’t really get to see you!”

“I’m sorry,” John said, smiling sadly. “But you have to go back to school too, Mary.” She sighed, looking down at her lap with a pout. “Don’t worry. I’ll come visit. And maybe you can come to visit New York during your next school break.”

“Really?” She looked up, eyes widening. 

“Yeah, sure,” John smiled. “I’ve got control of all of dad’s accounts now - or I will soon - so I can do what I want with them. And I think my baby sister should have a trip to New York.”

Mary laughed, crawling across the bed and snuggling into John’s side, “Thanks, Jack.”

“Of course,” John wrapped an arm around her, kissing the top of her head. 

“I want to come too,” James said, pouting from his spot in the chair next to the bed. “I’ve never been to New York either.”

“You can come,” John said, looking over at him. “You can all come. It will be great fun. We can make it a whole family thing. We can make trips around the city. Go to some shows on Broadway. We can do all the touristy things.”

“Will Alex come too?” Mary asked, looking excited.

“If he’s not busy,” John nodded. “I’m sure he’d like to join us for at least part of it. But he might be busy so he might not be able to come with us for everything.”

“I like Alex,” Mary said, resting her head on John’s shoulder. “He’s nice.”

“And very smart,” James added. 

“And a better dom than dad,” Mary said softly.

“He is kind to you right?” James asked John softly. 

“Oh yes, Jem,” John said. “He is. He is a very good dominant. And friend and boyfriend.”

“When I get older I want to be a good dom,” James said, taking a bite of his apple. 

“You will be, Jemmy,” John smiled fondly at his brother. 

“Jack?” Mary said, poking his stomach. 

“Yes, Mary?” John said, looking down at her. 

“I’m gonna miss you,” she said softly, shifting even closer to him.

“I’m gonna miss you too,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head gently. 

———

As soon as Monday rolled around John was eager to leave. He woke up early and as soon as the first nurse came in to check on him he began pestering her about when he would be allowed to leave. She just smiled at him and said he had to wait for a doctor to clear him before he could be released. This news wasn’t what John wanted to hear but he sighed and nodded, knowing it wasn’t her fault or decision. It was another couple hours before the doctor was able to come see John and clear him to leave. After receiving a long lecture of things he could and couldn’t do for the next few weeks, a referral letter to a clinic in New York, and a prescription for pain medication John was handed discharge papers to sign. Which he did happily before getting dressed in the clothes Martha had brought him.

“I can go now?” He asked the nurse once he was dressed and things packed. 

“Yes, Mr Laurens,” Nurse Andrews said with a chuckle. “You can go.”

“Great,” John nodded, grabbing his bag with his good arm.

“Give me that,” Martha said, grabbing the bag from him. 

“I am perfectly capable of carrying it,” John said, glaring at her. 

“And I am perfectly capable of giving a shit and yet,” Martha shrugged, making her way to the door. John huffed and followed her. Alexander was waiting out front with the car. 

“Hey,” Alex said when John climbed into the front passenger seat. “You ready to go home?”

“God yes,” John sighed, attempting to buckle his seat belt one-handed. It wasn’t working out to well and he huffed in annoyance when Alex leaned over to help. “I can do it.”

“John,” Alex said, voice low and firm. “You were shot. Let me help you.”

John swallowed, ducking his head slightly, “yes, sir.”

“Good boy,” Alex kissed his cheek as Martha slammed the trunk shut before climbing into the backseat. “Let’s get you back home. Mary, James, and Harry are waiting and we promised them a movie night before we leave tomorrow.”

—

“Mom?” John said, stepping into the kitchen where she was preparing some popcorn. Everyone else was spread out around the living room, trying to decide what film they were going to watch. 

“Yes, darling?” She said, looking over at him. 

“It’s going to take a little time before I have access to dad’s accounts,” John said, walking over to lean against the counter beside where she was standing. “Are you going to be okay? You have access to some money right?”

“Yes, John,” she smiled, reaching up to cup his cheek. “I’ve got a card attached to the household account. Don’t worry about me.”

“Good. That’s good,” he nodded. “And of course I’m going to worry, mom, your husband is in jail. You’re without your dominant for the first time in like two decades.”

“John, I stopped loving your father a long time ago,” she said softly, her smile turning sad. 

“Still,” John whispered, reaching up to rest his hand over hers on his cheek. “This can’t be easy for you.”

“It’s not,” she agreed softly. “But more than anything I’m happy. Happy that your father is somewhere where he can’t hurt you or your siblings again.”

“Or you,” John whispered. “I know he hurt you too, mom.”

“You’re a good boy, John,” she whispered, leaning in and kissing his forehead. “A good son.”

“I’m going to make sure you’re taken care of,” he promised softly. “All of you.”

“I know you will, John,” Eleanor smiled, patting his cheek gently as the microwave beeped. “Now, go join the others and I’ll be in with the snacks in a minute.”

“Okay, mom,” John said, kissing her cheek before leaving.

———

“You’ll call when you get back to New York right?” Martha said, standing with John while Alexander finished checking them in for their flight. 

“Yes, of course,” John nodded, hugging Mary one-armed as she held tight to his waist. “I’ll call as soon as we land.”

“And you’ll video chat with me on the weekend?” Mary asked, looking up at him with the beginnings of tears in her eyes.

“Yes, Mary,” John said, leaning down and kissing her forehead. “And as soon as I can access the accounts we can start planning your trip to New York.”

“I’m gonna miss you, Jack,” Mary whispered, pressing her face into his stomach. 

“I’m gonna miss you too,” John said softly. “But I’ll see you soon. And you can text me whenever you want.”

“Even when I’m at school?” She asked.

“Not at school, Mary,” he chuckled. “You don’t want to get your phone taken away.”

“I suppose,” she sighed, giving him one last squeeze before stepping back so James could give him a hug.

“Have fun at school, Jemmy,” John whispered, hugging his brother tight. “Call me if you need anything, okay?”

“I will,” James promised softly. 

“Love you, Jem,” John kissed his head gently. 

“Love you too, Jack,” James said before stepping back and moving over to stand with Mary. Harry stepped closer, smiling shyly at John.

“I’ll look over the proposed betrothal contract dad was working on with Eli’s parents,” John said, wrapping an arm around Harry’s shoulders and pulling him in for a hug. “We can talk more once I’ve had a chance to review it.”

“Okay,” Harry said, hugging John tightly for a moment before stepping back. “Take care of yourself, Jack.”

“You too, Harry,” John smiled before turning to Eleanor. She smiled, stepping in and wrapping John in a hug. He smiled, hugging her back tight and soaking up the warm feeling that a hug from his mother always gave. 

“I love you, my sweet son,” Eleanor whispered. 

“I love you too, mama,” John whispered, kissing her cheek gently.

“Have a safe flight,” Eleanor pulled back, cupping his cheek gently. “And let us know when you’re back in New York.”

“I will,” he promised, smiling softly as Alex came over with their boarding passes. 

“Take care of my brother,” Martha told Alex, patting his arm. 

“I will don’t worry,” Alex promised, smiling. “I’m going to take good care of him.”

“Good,” Martha said, pulling Alex into a hug. “And don’t be a stranger yourself.”

“I won’t,” he laughed, hugging her back. Hugs were exchanged between Alex and the rest of the Laurens family before he pulled back and took John’s hand. “We’ll call you when we arrive.”

“Have a safe flight,” Eleanor said, the siblings crowding around her and waving. John and Alex waved before disappearing into the security checkpoint.

—

“John!” Lafayette jumped off their bed where they were laying with Hercules. They had left the door open to their room so they could see when John and Alexander returned. Alex kicked the door to their suite shut and dropped their bag onto the floor. Lafayette rushed to John, cupping his cheek gently. “How are you, mon ami?”

“I’m fine, Laf,” John smiled. 

“You got shot,” they said, looking down at his arm in the sling.

“And they stitched me up just fine and now I’m good,” John smiled. Lafayette looked dubious but nodded, pulling him in for a quick hug before stepping back. 

“It’s good to have you back, mes amis,” Lafayette said, looking between John and Alex. 

“Yes, it is,” Hercules agreed, leaning against the doorway of his and Lafayette’s room. “I’m glad you’re okay, John.”

“Thanks,” John said, grabbing the keys from Alex and unlocking their room. “I’m a little tired though from the pain meds so I think I’m going to just head to bed.”

“Alright, mon ami,” Lafayette said, returning to Hercules and leaning against his chest. “We can talk more tomorrow, oui?”

“Yeah sure,” John smiled. “Night.”

“I’ll be right in, John,” Alex said, giving his submissive a smile. John nodded before heading into their room. 

“How is he really?” Lafayette asked softly once the door was closed.

“He’s doing okay,” Alex said, running a hand through his hair. “A little shaken up and I don’t think the gravity of what happened has fully hit him yet. But he’s okay.”

“And he’s got us to support him so he’ll be okay,” Hercules said, wrapping an arm around Lafayette’s waist. 

“Yeah,” Alex agreed softly, picking up his bag. “He’s definitely going to need it.”

“We’re here for him,” Lafayette said, head resting back on Hercules’ chest. “And for you, mon ami.”

“Thanks, Laf,” Alex said, smiling. “I’m pretty tired too so I think I’m going to head to bed.”

“Alright, Alex,” Hercules said. “Let us know if you need anything.”

“I will,” Alex promised, going over and opening his dorm room door. “Night.”

“Bonne Nuit, mon ami,” Lafayette said softly. Alex gave them one last smile before heading into his room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's a wrap on this story friends. Up next: probably maybe hopefully the Marliza story I started writing ages ago and haven't finished... 
> 
> I also may write a one-shot about John's reward if I can figure out what exactly I want that reward to be ~~any ideas are appreciated~~
> 
> And of course, if there is anything you want to see in this verse let me know. I don't really have that many ideas and welcome any and all suggestions.

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](https://isnonstop.tumblr.com)


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